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Wednesday, 19 May 2010

Blood Angels Do Things Differently: Part Three - Drop Pods

Let's get straight to it, it's been a while since I threw out any BA related material. Simply, I've been (and remain!) very busy, I have the home Nations and Fields of Blood coming up, I have to build and paint an army for the latter, and have to choose what the hell I'm going to field for the former.

As a result, all this BA lark has been put on hold - I apologise, it's not very convenient for ANY of us, but that's the way things are atm. Mercer, your articles on facing BA are also on the way, though, luckily, there's no rush if you cannot make that Tourny on the 5th. :)So, Drop Pods.

In a standard Marine list, you have several options for the way you want the army to deploy. Rhino Rush, Razor Spam, Bikes, Foot (blegh) or Pod. There are, of course, also Hybrids...but we'd be here all day.

Of those, Pods are the only reliable Deep Strike option available to the Space Marines. Reduced Scatter, only Mishaps when they go off-board...etc etc. The only real issues are : half the army comes in Turn One, meaning bad tactical choices, or the opponent Full-Reserving, can screw you quite readily, as you struggle to hold out for reinforcements and level the playing field. This can be worked around, by taking an odd number of Pods, to maximise the initial strike, and minimising units to ensure less is off-table. Alternately, maximise units, to allow you to engage more. Either extreme is better than neither. (Largely, obviously there are a shitload of variables.)

Now, Blood Angels. Well, thing is, the BA Pods deploy in the same way, and yet people think it's not a big deal to mix them willy-nilly with DoA units. Not So, sayeth I. You've really gotta think about what you're doing if trying to mix JPs and DPs. Drop Pods will ALWAYS put guys in the field turn one. Every time. JPs will not enter the fray until Turn Two, EVER. You need to balance these two conflicting deployment times. Or do you. Perhaps it's better to leave it, perhaps JP/DP mixture is always unworkable. Well, I'll scribble a list, and you guys can decide how you feel about it.

2000 Points: The Drop Stop Bop-A-Lop

HQ:As ever, a Librarian is needed for Psychic Defence. However, his method of Insertion (heh) is yet to be decided, so we'll just assume he's hitching a ride for now, and try Shield and Lance.

Librarian w/ The Blood Lance, The Shield of Sanguinius - 100

TROOPS:The most important section, ofc. This is where the majority of the hitting will come from. Sadly, BA Pods only hold ten, so Sang Priests, if any, will have to get JPs. Meaning, they need a JP bodyguard/meatshield.

RAS w/ 2 Meltas, Power Fist - 235
RAS w/ 2 Meltas, Power Fist - 235

Now, we need an initial strike force...what's most effective coming out of a Drop Pod? What is an iconic Space Marine image emblazoned upon each of our psyches? Oh, a Dreadnought - and not just any Dreadnought. This is a Marks and Spencers...er...Death Company Dreadnought. But, to get one, we need DC, and I don't refer to the Scottish former F1 Driver and now commentator.

5 Death Company w/ Drop Pod, Thunder Hammer - 135

Death Company Dreadnought w/ Drop Pod, Heavy Flamer - 170

Note how both are kept cheap, because that's clever. :)

Okay, thus far we have spent...100+235+235+135+170=975

We want more anti-tank, right? That's rhetorical, we do. Now, we look at the Codex, and, really, the only way to get JP anti-tank is Honour Guard, or RAS. DP, we can take Devvys...but that'd suck. They won't live long enough to shoot if we DP them. If they deploy, alone...well, not great either. lol Okay, what else? More Dreads? Hrmm. Not ideal, but we'll keep that one available for now. Speeders? Good, but not in a Pod, and not as reliable as JPs, so have to be discounted for our purpose. We need them as early as possible, so we don't rely on Krak Grenades, and bare hands. Tacticals? Get real. Ah, there. Sternguard. We need max units here, so we need to Combat Squad, which means 10 men...

Sternguard w/ +5 men, 2 Heavy Flamers, 8 Combi-Meltas, Drop Pod - 345

Ouch, expensive...Doesn't leave room for the Libby*, either. Well, we'll leave it in for now.

Corbulo?! Well, going first is very important to this army. Or rather, going second. Seeing the opponent's deployment, and wasting one of their shooting phases, when you are primarily a CC army, is well brown. So, there's a handy re-roll.

Ah. :( Drat. No room for the Libby, or Corby...wait a second! Split the Sternies into 2 units each of:

Sternguard Veterans w/ Drop Pod, Heavy Flamer, 4 Combi-Meltas - 190

Which is 380 as opposed to the previous 345, costing us another 35, leaving 20 points in the list free...Melta Bombs, Magna Grapple, Combi-Melta on Libby, whatever. Corby rides with one Sternguard, Libby the other...having an even number of pods sucks, but there's not a lot can be done to avoid it, really.

Dropping a Sang Priest (80) would have netted 135 points left, so a Pod wouldn't have been impossible, but would have been tricky (5-man Tactical Squad, Combi-Melta, Drop Pod) and it's hard to see that as being as good.

So, the final list, summarised:

Librarian w/ Blood Lance, Shield of Sanguinius - 100

Sanguinary Priests: - 265

1 w/ JP, Melta Bombs

1 w/ Corbulo

1 w/ JP, Melta Bombs

Sternguard Veterans w/ Drop Pod, Heavy Flamer, 4 Combi-Meltas - 190

Sternguard Veterans w/ Drop Pod, Heavy Flamer, 4 Combi-Meltas - 190

RAS w/ 2 Meltas, Power Fist - 235

RAS w/ 2 Meltas, Power Fist - 235

5 Death Company w/ Drop Pod, Thunder Hammer - 135

Death Company Dreadnought w/ Drop Pod, Heavy Flamer - 170

Vanguard Veterans w/ Thunder Hammer, Jump Packs. - 180

Vanguard Veterans w/ Thunder Hammer, Jump Packs. - 180

Ideas? Feedback? Thoughts?

Scale down by removing 1st a Sternguard, then the 3rd Sang Priest, then a Vanguard.

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